Internal-combustion engine.



No. 733,417. PATENTED JULY 14, 1903. V. R. NICHOLSON. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 3, 1903.

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No. 733,417. 7 PATENTED .IULYM, 1903. V. R. NICHOLSON.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 733, l17, dated July 14, 1903.

Application filed January 3,1903. Serial Nol3'7,68'7. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, VICTOR RALPH NICHOL- SON, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Bellevue, Cork, Ireland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal-combustion engines, the improvements referring mainly to the construction of the combustion chamber, vaporizer, and igniter.

According to the invention I provide in connection with the combustion-chamber of the cylinder and at that end thereof farthest from the cylinder a chamber into which the vapor (from the vaporizer in the case of an oil-engine) flows through an inlet-valve, the said vapor being then drawn during the suction action of the piston directly into the combustion-chamber through an opening between the two chambers. In conjunction with the combustion-chamber and the auxiliary chamber I also provide a third chamber or a tube, which connects the auxiliary chamber to the combustion-chamber by small openings, this chamber or tube forming the igniter. In the case of a heavy oil-engine the oil may be vaporized in a chamber formed with a suitable portion of the external side of the combustion-chamber and the vapor led to the said vapor-valve by means of a passage or pipe. With this arrangement during the suction action of the engine the vapor is drawn into the auxiliary chamber through the vapor-valve, the major portion of the said vapor being thence drawn directly into the combustion-chamber and the remaining portion passing into the said chamber through the igniter, thislatter portion being on the compression-stroke of the piston ignited, so as to explode the charge in the combustionchamber. In practice I prefer to make use of an igniter comprising a casing having an internal bulb or tube provided with a number of ribs, which retain the heat and offer a large surface to the vapor coming in contact with them.

The engine may be governed either by controlling the vapor-valve or by controlling the amount of air or oil which is admitted to the engine,

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a combustion-chamber and vaporizer made according to the invention and shown applied to an oil-engine cylinder. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan View, and Fig. 3 a sectional end elevation thereof.

a represents the cylinder, b the combustionchamber, and c the vaporizing and mixing chamber, the said vaporizer being attached to the outside of the combustion-chamber b, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and being provided with internal partial partitions c 0, whereby the oil, which enters through the inlet 61, is drawn by the air entering through the air-inlet d in a zigzag path, so as to be presented to an extensive heating area before passing to the combustion-chamber.

e is the auxiliary chamber, which is in connection with the vaporizer by the passage f. This passage is controlled by the valve g, which normally closes it under the action of the spring-piston g. The auxiliary chamber 6 is also in communication with the combus tion-chamber b by means of the passage h.

'i is the chamber or tube or by-pass which connects the auxiliary chamber 6 to the combustion-chamber b by small openingsj and 75, respectively. This chamber '5 contains the ignition device, which in the form shown in the drawings comprises a tube Z, having the internal swellings or ribs m 'm, which retain the heat and offer a large surface to the vapor coming in contact with them.

a is the main air-inlet valve, and o the ex haust-valve.

The operation of an engine having my improvements applied thereto is as follows: The oil entering the vaporizer a through the inlet dis during the suction-stroke of the piston drawn by the air entering through the inlet d throughv the said vaporizer and thence through the valve 9 into the auxiliary chamber e, where it divides, the major portion of it being drawn directly to the combustionchamber 1), while the remainder flows through the tube or chamber 11 into the said combustion-chamber I), this latter portion on the following compression-stroke of the piston being ignited, so as to explode the charge in the combustion-chamber.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed,

I declare that what I claim is p 1. In an internal-combustion chamber, the combination with a cylinder'provided with a combustion-chamber, of a mixing-chamber, having a direct communication by large openings with the combustion-chamber and a bypass of reduced area for conveying a portion of the explosive mixture to said combustionchamber, and an igniter located in the bypass, substantially as described.

2. In an internal-combustion chamber, the combination With a cylinder provided with a combustion-chamber external thereto and scribed.

communicating directly by a single aperture with the cylinder, of a vaporizing and mixing chamber, an intermediate mixing-chamber connected thereto, said mixing-chamber having a direct communication by large openings with the combustion-chamber and a bypass of reduced area for conveying a portion of the mixture from the mixing-chamber to the combustion-chamber and an igniter located in the by-pass, substantially as de- VICTOR RALPH NICHOLSON. Vitnesses:

JOSEPH LEE,

SIDNEY C. GooDY. 

